ScandAsia September 2020

SEP 2020 OPINION:

Thailand should move to “managed tolerance”

BUSINESS:

The future for hospitality

AGNETA’S WORLD:

Scandinavia during Covid-19 times

Jon Thorgaard new Danish Ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia

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September 2020

ScandAsia Stories

22 Janne Poulsen A Creative Dane in Hong Kong

10 KONE wins order for Pungol Digital District in Singapore.

17 Consul General hosted school visit.

34 Danish Embassy in China welcomes new Ambassador.

36 Sweden continue support “Future Forum” in Cambodia

26 Sam-Erik Ruttman on the future of hospitality after Covid-19

10 8 Pastor Christa Lund Herum visited the Father Ray Foundation

17

30 Agneta’s World reports from a Scandinavian summer during times of Covid.

18 Jon Thorgaard, new Danish Ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia.

34

36

Editorial

Creative Covid solutions, please

W

orldwide, international tourist arrivals plunged 65% during the first six months of 2020 when compared to 2019, Asia and the Pacific was the hardest hit with a 72% decline in tourists.

The sharp and sudden fall has created a loss of about US$ 460 billion in export revenues from international tourism according to data from the UN World Tourism Organization. UNTWO predicts that the return to 2019 levels in terms of tourist arrivals will take between 2½ to 4 years. Hundreds of millions of people will lose their jobs as businesses are forced to close.

Could we have reacted differently and avoided the meltdown of a whole business sector worldwide? Well, ask Sweden. But done is done.

Over recent weeks, a growing number of destinations have star ted to open up again to international tourists. As of early September, 53% of destinations world wide had eased travel restrictions. Safe and responsible international travel is now possible in many parts of the world and governments should work closely with the private sector to get global tourism moving again.

It seems fair to assume that during 2021 we will see a gradual and linear lifting of travel restrictions. Traveler’s confidence will gradually return, knowing that treatment is available for the few that may get a bad round of Covid-19 and need hospitalization.

Eventually, I imagine we could cough into a thing similar to an alcohol tester when checking into a flight just like we X-ray all our cabin luggage before entering the departure hall.

The biggest positive impact would come from finding creative alternatives to the killer of 14 days in quarantine. This is so basic that it seems to have been overlooked. If 95% of Covid-19 cases are found within the first 4 days after arrival at a destination - how about cutting the quarantine down to that for a start?

Gregers Moller Editor in Chief

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Opinion

Thailand should adopt a ‘Managed-Tolerance’ policy

By Samui Bodoh - the screen name of the Author on ThaiVisa.com

I think it is time for Thailand to re-evaluate its Virus Response policy.

T

hailand has been following a ‘Zero-Tolerance’ policy, but I think it is time to move to a ‘Managed-Tolerance’ policy. I make this suggestion based mainly on two factors; I think it is inevitable that the virus will return to Thailand and a calm, managed response is more effective than hysteria. Secondly, the economic damage being done to millions is more harmful than the virus itself and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

We recently saw new cases in Vietnam, and I think that we are going to see new cases in Thailand soon; like most people I take the government’s claim of zero cases with a grain of salt, although it seems like they have done a very good job overall. However, I don’t think it can last.

A better policy is to prepare, both medically and in terms of public opinion/education, for the return of the virus. Is this a radical idea? No, not really.You will recall the phrase “flatten the curve”, but perhaps a reminder is needed that the idea is to manage the virus so that the health system isn’t overwhelmed; a policy of Zero Tolerance is incompatible with an open society and/or open economy.

It is time to re-enforce the precautions needed, but also to allow for an economic re-start which includes outsiders/foreigners. A final point; humanity’s best minds and a boat-load of resources are being thrown at the problem.

This global effort, propelled by the power of competition, is expected to produce a vaccine either this year or early next year while treatments are being developed and refined daily; we as a species are going to beat this scourge, and relatively soon.

The economic damage being done to Thailand is immense. Yes, I know that we don’t hear about it too much, but there is a reason for that. The people talking in the (not quite free) Media are almost all in a ‘VirusProof ’ economic situation; they aren’t directly affected so

6 ScandAsia • September 2020

they don’t feel the urgency of fixing the problem. Firm numbers are difficult to come by, but it seems around 6-9 million Thais are very badly hurt by the economic fall-out of the virus, and those people need to be both helped and heard.The damage done to these people is egregious and growing worse; some government support is being withdrawn, the option of ‘Go Back to the Farm’ isn’t really possible anymore (and not a great idea regardless), and they will soon need more food and rent support to survive. Further, many aren’t well-educated and don’t have transferable skills, so their options are limited. Finally, even before Covid-19, their economic situation was in decline; it is in free-fall now and they can’t be ignored. Simply put, plans for their economic regeneration must to be formulated now and implemented soon.

When people are hungry, all bets are off.

How to proceed?

It is the beginning of August; continue/speed up the current repatriation policy ‘as is’, but ramp up the public education aspect of change. Announce that by October 1st (perhaps Nov. 1st?) that the airspace around Thailand will be open to commercial air travel, long-term tourists (Snow-Birds who ‘winter’ here), remaining residents and retirees will be allowed to return with a few restrictions (test before boarding or on arrival, reasonable insurance, self-isolation at home on arrival, etc. BUT no mandatory state quarantine), implement common sense visa issuance (sorry Floridians and Texans!) and most of all prepare the Thai people for the idea that although there will be cases of the virus, they will be managed, and the benefits of re-opening are a risk worth taking.Yes, the end of mandatory state quarantine is essential if this is going to work; I believe that the long-term visitors will respect the self-isolation policy and Thailand’s million strong pub-

The economic damage being done to millions is more harmful than the virus itself.

lic health volunteers can monitor them, but they won’t come if they are going to be locked up. Moreover, the selection of the residents/retirees and ‘Snow-Birds’ as an initial group isn’t accidental; these people already know the Kingdom and understand life within it, are good ‘testers’ of a new system, have a lot of money to spend, and can be excellent examples of a working policy of re-opening. Finally, allowing these kinds of visitors would build confidence, test whether short-term tourists could actually visit (I think not yet, but...), and help protect the tourism infrastructure from further and/or irreparable damage.

There are those who will argue that it is better to keep the borders closed and wait this out, and I honestly have trouble arguing against that idea (I don’t want to catch the thing). However, those who make that point rarely take the next step; what do you do with the 6-9 million people damaged by the current policy? Will those that advocate for closed borders take in homeless people? If so, how many? One family? Two families?

Three? Will those that advocate for closed borders give up a percentage of their salaries/pensions to help? If so, how much? 25%? 35%? 45%? Will those that advocate for closed borders pay school fees and related costs for all the children of unemployed/underemployed parents?

How many kids? One? Five? Twenty? The question isn’t merely an intellectual exercise, it has real-world implications and consequences.

should be: if you keep the border closed, then what will you do for the 6-9 million people economically-eviscerated by the response to the virus? Opening the Kingdom to visitors in November for the high season would likely see a few cases of the virus, but the Thai medical system can handle that (it did before, right?) until a vaccine is widely available. It would begin the process of re-starting the tourism industry in Thailand (20% of GDP!!!), begin the process of building trust again, re-start the employment of huge numbers, give Thailand a ‘leg up’ on future tourism business in the region, and alleviate some of the damage done to the poorest in the Kingdom.The alternative is a policy of rot, idleness, atrophy and decline with an indefinite timeline.

History is replete with examples of people hiding behind walls for protection, but it rarely ever works (especially against something the size of a virus); see the ‘Maginot Line’, the Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, and more. History shows that a combination of proactive tactics coupled with reasonable, layered defenses provides a better outcome to almost any problem.

The question is; is anyone listening? Or are public officials just spewing nonsense to get their name in the paper?

I’ve given you an outline on what and how to do it; can you take it from here?

If you want those 6-9 million people to sacrifice for you, what are you going to sacrifice for them?

To sum up, I think that the question of whether or not to keep the border closed is incomplete. The question September 2020 • ScandAsia 7

News brief

Pastor Christa Lund Herum visited the Father Ray Foundation

By Zazithorn Ruengchinda

Pastor Christa Lund Herum, Danish Church in Thailand, together with with Father Paul Sukhum Thanasingha C.Ss.R.(Right) and Derek Franklin, (Left) President and International Relations Manager at the Father Ray Foundation. Photo Danish Church in Thailand.

P

astor Christa Lund Herum of the Danish Church in Thailand paid a courtesy call to the Father Ray Foundation in Pattaya on 28 August 2020. The Foundation has over several decades received much support from the people of Denmark.

Pastor Christa was welcomed to Pattaya by Father Paul Sukhum Thanasingha C .Ss.R. and Derek Franklin, President and International Relations Manager at the Father Ray Foundation respectively.

Pa s t o r C h r i s t a r e g u l a r l y visits Pattaya and the Scandinavian Church, but this was her first time visiting local Pattaya charities. Due to time constraints Pastor Christa fir st visited the Human Help Network, spending one hour there before coming over to the Father Ray Foundation. Her aim was to visit 8 ScandAsia • September 2020

these projects and get an overview of the work they do.

The projects managed by the Father Ray Foundation have been receiving suppor t from Denmark for many years, and many young Danes have given up their time to be volunteers at the foundation.

The Foundation manages several schools, the Pattaya School for the Blind, Father Ray School for Children with Special Needs, Father Ray Day Care Center and the Technological College for People with Disabilities, as well as the Father Ray Children’s Village, currently home to 150 children and teenagers who are orphans, neglected and abandoned, survivors of abuse and children from poor families, The Human Help Network manages the ASEAN Education Center, providing an education for

underprivileged Thais and migrant children, who would otherwise not have the chance of being educated.

They also manage the Child Protection & Development Center.

Located several kilometers outside of Pattaya, the Center provides a safe environment for children at risk of harm, a place where they can live in peace and be children. They also r un an award winning Mobile Tr aining Unit, offer ing tr aining sessions and workshops, dealing with issues relating to child protection and the safety of children.

According to Derek Franklin, Pastor Christa’s first visit was short, but the foundation is looking forward to the next visit when she will have more time to meet the underprivileged children and students with disabilities, and see the work that both the Human Help Network and the Father Ray Foundation are doing in Pattaya.

The Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok welcomes new staff

News brief

O

n 9 September 2020, the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok published a welcome note to their new members.

The statement said: Today was a long awaited day at the embassy. After completing their 14-day quarantine, we could finally welcome three new posted colleagues to the embassy.

Ingrid Dahl Madsen, new Deputy Head of Mission (right), Nils Robenhagen, new Commercial Counsellor (middle) and Alice Rosengren Skov, new Consul (left), all had their first day at the embassy that day.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 9

News brief

KONE wins order for the Punggol Digital District in Singapore

T

he Finnish KONE Corporation, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has won an order to deliver 62 elevators and 28 escalators to the integrated business park development in Singapore’s Punggol Digital District.

According to an official announcement on 1 September 2020, Punggol Digital District is a 50-hectare smart and sustainable development that will testbed new concepts of living, working, and delivering services. It is being masterplanned and developed by JTC, and designed

by WOHA Architects. The tallest towers in the district’s integrated business park development will be around 55 meters and 12 stories high and host a wide variety of innovative digital businesses.

KONE will help to create smart and smooth people flow around the business park area by delivering 40 KONE MonoSpace® eleva-

tors, 22 KONE MiniSpace™ elevators, and 28 KONE TravelMaster™ TM110 escalators. Additionally, the buildings will be equipped with the KONE Destination Control System for reduced waiting and traveling times, and the KONE E-Link™ facility management tool, designed to secure the best possible tenant service quality.

“Punggol will showcase the future of living in Singapore, combining digital technologies to improve liveability and sustainability. We’re excited to be included in this project to help deliver a great people flow experience,” said Axel Berkling, Executive Vice President for KONE Asia Pacific.

Four new board members in Singapore Norway Chamber of Commerce

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ingapore Norway Chamber of Commerce announced the appointment of three new members of the Board – Trine Radmann, Geir Fuglerud and Bård Bjørløw. The chamber olso welcomes Ambassador Mor ten Høglund, Norway’s 10 ScandAsia • September 2020

Ambassador to ASEAN, as permanent observer to the Board.

Their statement said:

“At the same time we would like to thank our outgoing board members Christian Chramer, Bjørn

Tore Markussen and Torger Reve.

Their contribution to the Board has been most valuable, and SNCC wishes them well on their future endeavours.”

More from the AGM and details of the new board members can be found on the SNCC website: https://sncc.no/new-boardmembers-and-permanent-obser ver-to-the-board/

Danish SKIOLD signs strategic Singapore partnership

T

he Danish company SKIOLD A/S has inked a strategic partnership alliance for livestock farming and seed processing with Hong Lai Huat Group (HLH) on 7 September, 2020 witnessed by the new Ambassador of Denmark to Singapore H.E. Sandra Jensen Landi.

HLH is a proper ty and real estate developer in Singapore since 1988 and has diversified into agricultural business specialising in cultivating cassava and cassava starch production in Cambodia. HLH has proposed their intention at the Cambodia-Singapore Agriculture Special Economic Zone in Cambo-

dia to venture into livestock farming and seed processing for a projected investment value of US$1 Billion with supporting expertise and complete solutions to be provided by SKIOLD A/S of Denmark.

Soeren Overgaard, CEO of the SKIOLD GROUP, sees the strategic par tnership with Hong Lai Huat as an impor tant step in the continued development of the SKIOLD GROUP activities in Asia.

Soeren Overgaard continues “We are proud to have been chosen by Hong Lai Huat Group to serve as a par tner in their effor ts to grow food security in the region. SKIOLD is committed to the par tnership and will contribute with knowledge, experience and technology to support Hong Lai Huat group so they maximize the result of their efforts and their investment.”

Dr Sussie Ketit, Regional Director SKIOLD A/S has apprised that the venture will concentrate for

News brief

now into Poultry and Cattle Farming and Seed Processing in Cambodia with some in Singapore for enhancing Singapore’s food security.

Expanding on the role and objective of SKIOLD A/S, Dr. Sussie opined: “With more than 140 years of developing, projecting, and producing advanced machinery for the agro-industry, SKIOLD is one of the most preferred and experienced companies in these field delivering successful projects all over the world. Being a company that has broad range of exper tise in the livestock industry we see this collaboration as an excellent connection and hope to see positive results spin-offs from the initiative not only to Cambodia but also for Singapore, we hope that through this initiative in return help Singapore reach 30 by 30 vision through adopting Danish technologies to raise productivity, apply R & D, strengthen food resilience and sustainability”

Nordic Innovation House Singapore invites to “Healthcare Innovation Platforms” virtual event

T

he Nordic Innovation HouseSingapore announced on 11 September 2020, that together with Nordic Health Vir tual Market Entry Programme – Singapore 2020, they would like to invite to their webinar event on ‘Healthcare Innovation Platforms by The Nordics and Singapore, and Nordic Showcase’ Par ticipants on the webinar will learn how Nordic and Singaporean healthcare institutions are

moving towards innovation platforms that will accelerate and increase the engagement between var ious player s in the health ecosystem.

Nordic Showcase by our 18 selected Nordic HealthTech & MedTech companies. Grab the opportunity to engage and hear more about their health-related solutions for the healthcare industry. Check out the company profiles here

Date: 25 SEP 2020 Time: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Singapore Time) For more information on Event Agenda & Registration, please read https://bit.ly/33pw6fo September 2020 • ScandAsia 11

News brief

Norwegian Snorre Food and Pink Fish Cafe are giving discount to NBAS members

T

he well-known Norwegian company Snorre Food in Singapore has had their physical shop Fisk for many years. Fisk is expanding its offer to an online service Fisk – Online Seafood Delivery. Snorre-boss Frank Nesheim is looking forward to bringing cold water seafood & other Scandinavian goodies to your homes.

The physical shop will continue to be open for any last minute buys.

Fisk generously gives a 10% discount for NBAS members, throughout September. Employees of membership companies, their family members, and also individual members of NBAS – Norwegian Business Association Singapore are entitled to this discount. Promo-code: NBAS If you are craving for some fresh Norwegian salmon, check out

the Norwegian restaurant Pink Fish Singapore at Jewel Changi Airport.

Pink Fish offers fresh and tasteful salmon dishes served in a simple, buzzing and friendly environment.

Every meal is cooked with passion and love.They also generously offers 20% discount, when you mention you are a NBAS – Norwegian Business Association Singapore member.

New Danish Ambassador Landi participating in GovInsider’s event in Singapore

S

andra Jensen Landi, Denmark’s new Ambassador to Singapore, shared on 10 September 2020 how learnings and lessons from the development of #DigitalDenmark has helped Denmark tackle the current crisis.

The ambassador took part in GovInsider’s Live Festival of Innovation on that day and was live from 16.00 onward.

Tune in for the session ‘Pivot for Pandemic’ here https://www. festival-of-innovation.com/

12 ScandAsia • September 2020

News brief

Norwegian Charge D’ Affaires attended Vietnam’s National Day Event

N

orwegian Chargé d’affaires a.i., Ms Nina G. Enger, participated in a ceremony marking 75th anniversar y of the National Day of Vietnam chaired by PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

This year, Vietnam’s National Day took place in a special context due to the Covid-19, therefore both host and guests were wearing face masks to comply with the rules.

However, this did not pre-

vent ever yone from enjoying the ceremony spirit which was even more unique with the commemorative speech from the United Nations Secretar y-General Antonio Guterres affirming Vietnam’s increasingly strong presence on the international arena especially with its dual role this year as the ASEAN Rotating Chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Norwegian embassy invites young Vietnamese to join Logo Design Contest.

T

he Norwegian Embassy launches a logo contest to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Norway and Vietnam (1971-2021).

Contest conditions: Period: From 10 September to 15 October 2020 Eligibility: Young Vietnamese people under 30 years old including children Email for submissions: emb.hanoi@mfa.no Date of announcement of the final results: 25 November 2020 Prizes: A special gift, interesting souvenirs, and certificates of appreciation from Norwegian Ambassador Grete Lochen.

14 ScandAsia • September 2020

News brief

Ambassador Måwe visited handcraft projects in Vietnam

T

he Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam H.E. Ann Måwe published her impressions after visiting two craft villages in Ninh Binh and Ha Nam provinces on 7 September 2020. The Ambassador visited the craft villages together with vice minister Tran Thanh Nam from MARD, Secretary General of Vietcraft Mr Le Ba Ngoc with their teams as well as colleagues and a former colleague from the embassy.

“The theme was “one commune – one product” a project by Vietcraft and MARD which aims

at preserving old competence and skills, as well as developing and refining the products and production,” the Ambassador explains.

“In Ninh Binh we were hosted by the director of Green Sun, Ms Vu Thi Tue. We visited both a factory and a small workshop producing embroidery and lace for local and export market. Beautiful products – not least the lace for bed linen and home decoration.”

In the Nha Xa silk village in Ha Nam we visited a small production site for weaving silk and at another

place we witnessed the dying process, followed by a meeting with the local crafts association.

“I am proud that Sweden has a histor y of suppor ting Vietcraft to further develop the artistic and business value of Vietnamese crafts including through twinning with the School of industrial design in Lund,” the Ambassador added.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 15

News brief

Finnair resumes operation to Nanjing

F

innair has received permission from Chinese authorities to operate one weekly flight between Helsinki and Nanjing as of 11 September. The route will be operated with Airbus A350 aircraft until 18 October, and it supports cargo and passenger travel demand between Europe and China. The flight schedule is published in all Finnair sales channels.

Finnair currently offers smooth connections to 30 destinations in Europe and Finland from its Helsinki hub.

Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair said “We are happy to be able to serve another destination in China, which continues to be a key market for us. In September we are flying to Mainland China (Shanghai and Nanjing) two times per week and look forward to further increasing our service to the Chinese market soonest.”

Finnair currently serves some 40 destinations in Europe and Asia, operating altogether 80-90 flights per day. Finnair constantly reviews its traffic plan and has the capability to

add flights and re-open destinations at a rapid pace, as travel restrictions are removed and travel demand recovers. Long-haul flights to Asia are also supported by cargo demand.

Nominate your company to the Digitaltransformation (DT) Award 2020

E

uroCham Singapore published an announcement that they are excited to be a suppor ter of SwissCham Singapore’s digital transformation platform (DT) Award 2020.

Submit a nomination by 30 September 2020 if you think your company is a pioneer of digital change in Asia here.

SwissCham aims to offer a platform to all organisations in Singapore to showcase their digitalization efforts in the ASEAN region.

SwissCham has also launched an upcoming webinar series DX Leaders: A Series on Digital Transformation.

16 ScandAsia • September 2020

News brief

Consulate General of Denmark in Shanghai hosted a school visit On 4 September 2020, the Consulate General of Denmark in Shanghai published an activity on school visited to the office.The Danish team were pleased to hosting the event and share Danish culture to visiting Chinese school children.

Their statement said: 32 Chinese schoolchildren were visiting the Consulate General in Shanghai to learn more about Denmark, and whether it is really true that Danish parents send children into the forest alone!

It is always a great pleasure to present Denmark and Danish culture to Chinese students, and this time was no exception. The 5-10 year old schoolchildren all already knew about Hans C. Andersen, but also got new knowledge

from their visit. Among other things, they learned about the concept of forest kindergarten, a concept they thought sounded dangerous and crazy.

In addition, they were especially impressed by the Danish education system, and the many green initiatives in Denmark, which, among other things, makes the water in Copenhagen harbour so clean that you can swim in it On 1 September 2020. was the first day of school for Chinese students and we look forward to welcoming more school classes to the Consulate General.

Photo: The Consulate General of Denmark in Shanghai.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 17

Jon Thorgaard new Danish ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia Jon Thorgaard comes to the job with considerable experience within trade and commerce. The last five years, he has been Head of Department the Danish Trade Council and before that he was based in New York, where he was Deputy at the Consulate General of Denmark and Director for Invest in Denmark for North America.

By Gregers Moller 18 ScandAsia • September 2020

J

on Thorgaard, Denmark’s new ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia, has a history of staying a full term and often longer in his assignments. Even his very first job in the ministry he held for almost 3 years. He is clearly not a job hopper.

Talking to Jon Thorgaard about his new assignment as the Danish Ambassador to Thailand it is therefore not surprising that his perspective is long.

“Denmark would like to see a Free Trade Agreement between Thailand and the EU,” he says as an example of what ambitions Denmark has for its relationship with Thailand over the coming years.

“The EU achieved a free trade agreement with Singapore and more recently so did Vietnam and we have seen an increased business activity in the wake of these agreements,” Jon Thorgaard elaborates.

Jon Thorgaard comes to the job with considerable experience within trade and commerce. The last five years, he has been Head of Depar tment the Danish Trade Council and before that he was based in New York, where he was Deputy at the Consulate General of Denmark and Director for Invest in Denmark for North America.

In his new assignment, Denmark has added to his ambassadorial tasks for Thailand and Cambodia that he will also be the Chairman of the Danish Trade Council for the Asean region. This is one of the new 17 regions, which Denmark has divided the world into, and the other board members will be the ambassadors from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

“The regional Trade Council will coordinate cross border assignments for companies and visits to the region

by Danish ministers and authorities,” he says.

“Companies, who want success, need to realize that it is when we start by analysing the market together and identify opportunities together and enter a longer lasting partnership, that is when we can really achieve great results together,” he says.

“The one-off job where a company asks us to help them with a short list from the phone book of three potential partners seldom makes much of a difference,” he adds.

Assistance to Danish companies

When asked to elaborate on what the Embassy can do for Danish companies, he says it helps to distinguish between companies that are not yet present on the market, and companies that are already here.

When it comes to Danish companies not yet present in Thailand, the Embassy needs to be even better at identifying and communicating specific business opportunities to them, he says.

“It is not enough to say that the GDP has developed so and so fast over the years. We need to be specific and explain what it is that the Thais are currently investing in.

It could for instance be within water solutions because Thai municipalities are exploring shared solutions within

Food production is another area of Danish expertise, which is why we now have a specific commercial expert within food and food production based in Thailand here at the Danish Embassy.

this field. This could be a specific opportunity for specific Danish companies in a sector, where Denmark is strong.”

“Opportunities like these open for a relatively short period of time only. We need to be fast in identifying such a window of opportunity and bring the opportunities to the attention of companies offering solutions within the relevant sectors where Denmark is known to be strong, like green solution, health industry, digitalisation.”

“Food production is another area of Danish expertise, which is why we now have a specific commercial expert within food and food production based in Thailand here at the Danish Embassy. There are many food manufacturers in Thailand with the potential to become global suppliers. We need to match them with the Danish companies with specific knowledge how to establish production facilities and distribution geared towards the global market.”

Regarding the companies that are already here, Jon Thorgaard mentions one offer that is often valuable for them, which is to help them influence the authorities to facilitate their operation or market conditions.This can be useful as the embassy will often be able to meet authorities at a higher level than the individual Danish company itself, he explains.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 19

Jon Thorgaard’s office has the best view of all the offices of the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok.

It used to be the living room of the apartment of the Commercial Councellor and later again the apartment of the Agricultural Councellor.

New, but experienced staff

Along with Jon Thorgaard comes an almost entirely new team of Danish diplomats. On the day when ScandAsia visited the Ambassador, there were no less than three new embassy staff who were through with their 14 days of quarantine and ready to start working at the embassy.

They were Nils Robenhagen, Head of Commercial Department, Alice Rosengren Skov, Head of Consular Affairsand Ingrid Dahl-Nielsen, Deputy Head of Mission.

Other relatively new diplomatic staff are Food Sector Expert Lene Moelsted Jensen, who started in February this year, and Charlotte Lykkegren in charge of the Visa Section, which has been expanded to include handling of visa applications from Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. This is part of the restructuring of the Danish visa application system where there have been established several Danish visa hubs globally.

Former Danish Consul in Thailand, Peter Dalberg moved over the summer to China and is now head of the visa hub for China, now centred in Guangzhou.

Since there are currently no interns working at the Danish embassy, the total staff is around 45 employees.

“It is correct to say that we are a new team, but we all come with a very solid professional toolbox,” Jon Thorgaard points out.

To be more visible for the Danish companies already established in Thailand, Jon Thorgaard is planning to hold several information meetings. He attended the Annual General Meeting of the Danish Thai Chamber of 20 ScandAsia • September 2020

Commerce and he will have one-on-one meetings with selected companies like Pandora, FLSmidth, Maersk, Novo.

Visiting the Danes

When he is settled a bit more in the job, Jon Thorgaard plans to pay visits to some of the locations where there are particularly many Danish citizens living, like Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai. “I want to meet the Danes in these locations first of all to get to know them, of course, but also to clarify what they can expect of the Danish Embassy but also clarify when it is other service providers and authorities that they should contact and not the Danish Embassy.”

“We sometimes get requests from Danish citizens for assistance with matters that are beyond what we offer. Sometimes, we can help by pointing to the relevant authority back in Denmark. But there will also be times when we can simply not help. We want to communicate and inform about our tasks and what is not,” he explains.

His trips around the country will, however, seldom include days at the kind of beach resorts which Thailand is so famous for.

“I am not good at lying on the beach and doing nothing,” he says categorically.

“I need to do something which could include actively enjoying nature but not just lying on a beach. For example my family and I visited Iceland last summer and that was a tremendous experience.”

It is correct to say that we are a new team, but we all come with a very solid professional toolbox.

The seventh of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is the one, Denmark has been put in charge of.

Football fan

When relaxing after work, the Ambassador enjoys watching football. It is no coincidence that there is a colourful football at the top of a cabinet right by the entrance to his office.

The professional alibi for its prominent presence is that on 17 of the leather patches on the ball, you can read the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. Picking up the ball, he points to the patch with the goal number 7, related to the development of green energy, of which Denmark is in charge of achieving within the UN. He is also a big Liverpool fan and he has already spotted who else among the staff at the Embassy shares this with him - and who does not.

To keep himself in shape he enjoys going for a run in Lumpini Park during the weekend.

“Apart from that, I am a heavy consumer of political news and read everything I can find about politics both domestically, back in Denmark and globally,” he says.

Missing his family

Jon Thorgaard admits that he misses his wife, Camilla, who will keep her work in Denmark as head of division at the Danish Evaluation Institute, evaluating the Danish institutes of higher education. Camilla Thorgaard is also the Author of a book called “Bloed landing” (Soft Landing) about being stationed abroad and the challenges it is for the children and the family.

“We had hoped she could have joined the work here on a regular basis, but Covid-19 spoiled that,” he says.

When the situation permits, he is looking forward to being joined both by her and during vacations also by their two children, Rasmus, who is 22 and studying economics at Copenhagen University, and Alberte, who is still in 12th grade at Birkeroed Gymnasium.

During his first four month in Bangkok, Jon Thorgaard has been visiting many of the most famous temples and cultural places, including historical museums and art galleries.

“It serves the dual purpose of building up myself to be a good guide for my family when eventually they will be able to come and stay with me,” he says with a smile.

Ambassador for Ebeltoft Jon Thorgaard grew up in the little town of Ebeltoft 50 kilometers northeast of Aarhus. Incidentally, this is the only city in Thailand with a museum section dedicated to Thailand. The section “Siamesisk Samling” contains the huge collection of items brought back to Denmark from Siam by the Danish adventurer Rasmus Havmoeller.

“Sometimes people tease me, asking if I am the ambassador for Denmark or for Ebeltoft,” Jon Thorgaard jokes.

During his term, Denmark and Thailand will celebrate yet another milestone in the relationship of the two countries, since it was in 1621 - 400 years ago next year - that the first recorded official visit took place by a representative of Denmark to the Kingdom of Thailand.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 21

Business

Janne Poulsen A Creative Dane in Hong Kong

By Colin Rampton

22 ScandAsia • September 2020

I

f you are wearing jeans and an open necked shirt and alight from Hong Kong’s Central MTR station on any weekday morning, you might be forgiven for feeling a little underdressed. Tens of thousands of commuters ascend into the street from the subway to journey to their uncountable offices which loom high above. The men wear suits and expensive shoes and the women are fashionably attired and always immaculately groomed.

Wander a few streets away, pass the designer shops and you come back to reality.

At a coffee shop in Lyndhurst Terrace, just a short walk away from the office-rush, I was fortunate to spend a couple of hours in the company of the charming and ar ticulate Danish jewellery maker Janne Poulsen. Not that Janne isn’t stylish and well-groomed - she is both of those things, and certainly looks many years younger than her age. Her friendliness and openness were clearly apparent during our conversation and she came across as genuine and totally unpretentious.

Leaving Denmark

Janne was born and raised in the small Danish city of Odense, whose most famous son is Hans Christian Andersen. Although she lived in several places in her home country with her husband Soren, she was in her midthirties when she arrived with him in Asia for the first time. Both Danes worked in the Freight Forwarding industry, but an opportunity for Soren to accept a position in India in 2003, was too good to miss. After two years in New Delhi, three in Shanghai and one in Singapore, the couple arrived in Hong Kong. This was in 2009 and after more than ten years in the territory Janne is happy to call the SAR her home.

I just love the look on people’s faces when I hand over something that I have created which is just what they wanted. I like to think that I am filling a gap here in Hong Kong for personalised and custom-made jewellery at an affordable price.

Creativity

Janne is an independent spirit and does not want to be defined as ‘a trailing spouse’. She has always been creative - a trait she thinks she inherited from her artistic mother.

In Delhi she was fascinated by the hand embroidery skills shown by some of the local women and she began to design embroidered handbags.These did well in a friend’s shop in Copenhagen, but he became even more enthusiastic when she turned her hand to designing and making jewellery. Janne Poulsen Jewellery is now an established and successful company in Hong Kong, with an extensive web site and many loyal and satisfied customers.

Earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings made with gold, silver and precious stones are designed from scratch and handmade by Janne. Stones are obtained from various parts of the world and chosen to ensure the purest quality.

Janne began with just a few designs for friends and family members, but her pieces were widely admired. She describes her style as understated rather than elaborate, with a classicality that often suits mature women. She took the step of registering her business in 2014, and it has steadily expanded since then. Janne has a passion for her creations and each item is unique and hand crafted to the highest standard.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 23

I enjoy showing visitors from Denmark the other side of Hong Kong, away from the usual Tourist Attractions.

They are always positively surprised.

I love my life here.

A Special Project

An item that Janne is particularly fond of is the ‘HOPE’ bracelet that she created for the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital Foundation (HKAHF). The Foundation provides free medical treatment for underprivileged people in the locality. Janne has made more than 2000 of these bracelets for women and children. All the profits from the HOPE bracelets have gone to supporting the HKAHF in its vital work.

Instagram

Janne previously sold her goods at Christmas fairs, school fairs, bazaars and ‘Pop-up’ shops, but as her enterprise has become more established, she now does this less often.

She takes orders from word of mouth, her website and via her favoured method, Instagram. Using Instagram, she can maintain a close dialogue with individual customers to ensure their needs are met and that they are pleased with the outcome. Janne takes immense pride in her work and is passionate about what she does.

“I just love the look on people’s faces when I hand over something that I have created which is just what they wanted. I like to think that I am filling a gap here in Hong Kong for personalised and custom-made jewellery at an affordable price.”

Overseas Life

Janne has used her ability with languages to make friends from many different nationalities, including Dutch, English, Chinese, American, South African, Swedish and of course fellow Hong Kong Danes. As well as Danish, she can speak English, German and some Mandarin Chinese. She even 24 ScandAsia • September 2020

studied Hindi when she was living in India. Janne feels that it has been a privilege to live in different countries and to learn their cultures. She believes that attempting to communicate in the local language is a way of showing respect as a resident ‘guest’. English is widely spoken in Hong Kong and the need to learn the local language less important, but she very much values the local Cantonese culture and customs.

When Janne and Soren first arrived overseas, they took Soren’s mother’s advice not to refuse any invitations, and they embarked upon a busy social life. She looks back with appreciation at the welcome they received from the Danish communities in each of the countries in which they were new arrivals. Many of those friendships have endured.

Hong Kong Musings

Janne is happily settled and well established in Hong Kong.

She speaks warmly of her local friends and she shares the Danish characteristic of an intense love of home. After 17 years in Asia, a lot of enjoyable visits and memorable experiences of different cultures, she does not feel the urge to travel so much these days Janne worries about the recent political divisions in Hong Kong. She holds the SAR in high esteem and despite its population density, she talks of a ‘village atmosphere’ in and around Central and Mid-Levels where she lives. She often bumps into friends and acquaintances when shopping, visiting her workshop or taking her threeyear-old cocker spaniel Noah for a walk.

“This city is so much more than high-rise. There

are beaches, country parks and great hiking trails. I enjoy showing visitors from Denmark the other side of Hong Kong, away from the usual Tourist Attractions. They are always positively surprised. I love my life here.”

Janne and Soren return to Denmark regularly to catch up with family and friends. Her mother and siblings still live in the Odense area and her father resides in Stockholm. Janne misses the long Danish summer days when the sun doesn’t set until 10pm, the low humidity and fresh clean air. She doesn’t miss the cold harsh winters, although cherishes childhood memories of building snowmen in the garden and skating on a frozen lake.

Janne Poulsen is very easy to talk to. She is articulate and friendly and her kind nature and enthusiasm for what she does is infectious. It was a pleasure to spend time with her.

As I retraced my step back to the MTR subway, the stylish office workers were packed into the lunchtime restaurants and coffee shops, their day half over.

Covid disruption

Since the Covid crisis Janne has continued to work on her jewelry at home, and now sells exclusively via her online shop. Soren now also has to operate from home but he has been offered a relocation position within his company to Singapore.

With the current restrictions, however, the family is unlikely to move until late 2021. Meanwhile Janne, Soren and Noah the dog continue to make the best of things.

For more information about Janne Poulsen Jewellery please visit www.jannepoulsen.com September 2020 • ScandAsia 25

Business

Sam-Erik Ruttman Covid-19 and the future

for hospitality

‘What if this ‘new normal’ does not change for the next five or ten years, what will you do? Are you going to wait until things come back to normal or are you going to do something about it?’ And how can I make the business more viable, more interesting and with more value to those customers; actually with much better value than ever before?

By Joakim Persson

B

Sam-Erik Ruttman, previously GM at Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket. Photo: Joakim Persson

26 ScandAsia • September 2020

ack in the 1990’s and until the early 2000’s Swedish-Finnish hotelier Sam-Erik Ruttman was a well-known face within Bangkok’s expatriate community. Then, working for Dusit Hotels & Resorts he was appointed to manage their Phuket-based proper ty, where ScandAsia interviewed him in 2004.

Sam-Erik then continued with the Thai hospitality brand’s expansion into the Middle East, in Dubai. Then later, he had suddenly moved to Helsinki. Retiring? Had enough of hotels? Far from it; Sam-Erik was just taking on a slightly new role, as an independent consultant (B8B Hospitality).

Now – and very timely in the midst of the extreme Covid19 crisis – he shares his expert take on the future for hospitality (what new desires and demands will rise etc.?) and more details about what he is focused on these days.

For Sam-Erik moving back to Finland was just the next step in his career. “It was an evolution of what I enjoy doing. I was looking at what would be the next thing in my career. So it was just a natural step and I have not stopped doing the things I enjoy – my passion is hospitality. And I think with the passion for hospitality you can do many things. It was just a direction I thought would be enjoyable, still learning about things – and I having knowledge to share,” explains the world-class hotelier.

After Thailand he was the Regional Vice President, Middle East for Dusit International, during 2005 – 2011 and then Vice President Development & Regional Director Operations (Middle East) for Langham Hospitality Group, during 2011 – 2013.

So already in Dubai Sam-Erik took on a development role and left the daily operational side of running hotels.

“I look at my entire journey and career that includes being with companies like Langham or Dusit. These were great times in that part of the career. I was able to do things I love the most; my passion being the hospitality side of things. This evolved into a chance to move to Dubai and do something I’ve never done before and had always wanted to do; which was developing new projects for great brands and to be part of that whole chain of developing a hotel. That was something new back then but this is now the norm, where companies like Dusit and Langham have a brand book and signature, look at projects from developers and evaluate whether a brand fits into their vision and if the design would fit with the hotel brand vision.”

“I was fortunate and privileged to spend eight years doing that, so I learned quite a bit. Meeting new people and connecting with the Middle Eastern way of things I think was also rewarding, as it changed the way of viewing things also from my perspective,” says Sam-Erik from his Helsinki base.

He describes the Finnish capital as a very good environment to live in, while his work can be global, with interest also for projects in Asia going forward.

Nordic sustainable thinking

“I joined Studio Puisto Architects, a firm that looks at projects from a sustainable point of view - ecological and of course economical - without forgetting that it has to be functional and beautiful, so the idea is to create the most beautiful hotel experience for guests that covers both sustainable and ecological aspects. That is also exactly what Nordic thinking stands for in terms of

design and using wood as much as possible. It’s a fantastic material, and that contains CO2, so it’s very long-lasting.

Whatever we do now for clients is to design sustainable projects. One of the latest projects is in Lapland, where we are getting great insights from a developer who wants to do something that is sustainable, eco-friendly, but also economical. It sits next to a national park, so there are many considerations.”

A project design needs to be ecological and also economical for the surrounding community. Conceptualising from the customer and traveller’s point of view – what’s important to them – and to create those touch points and weave it into a story, is Sam-Erik’s expertise.

“With the architect firm we create a story about the area, make the renderings and discuss with a developer jointly what they think about the concept. And with this teaser concept we go to investors and hotel brands to generate interest. In this way I’m part of the process from the beginning until the end - to get the right hotel operator and then to possibly continue working closely with the par ticular developer in the future, advising them also later.”

The Lapland project is also par tly geared for international travellers, including hikers who want to pick nature’s summer harvest (mushrooms and berries). “We are advancing this opportunity.”

Lapland as destination, also has a unique selling point (aside famous for winter spor ts, ice hotels and Santa Claus) – namely its chilly summers.”With changing weather patterns in Europe the summers are often extremely hot, while the temperature up there is much cooler. That has created an interest; people are willing to pay a lot to come and have that kind of cold summer. And Lapland is a huge area so it never feels crowded there. It offers the fresh air and peacefulness that people in many places do not have. These are the things that people are longing for and valuing more than before.”

Other countries of interest to Studio Puisto Architects are the upcoming destinations in Europe, such as Albania.

“Aside hotels, we are also looking at a different approach to senior living, providing the hospitality aspect with a service ambassador feature to senior homes that tend to be institutional. It is a great market for people in Finland or while they spend most of their time in warmer climates in Southern Europe.”

Hospitality Talks

To inspire the hospitality sector and get inspired himself Sam-Eric is also active in social media platforms as host of his own webinars ‘The Social Hotelier’ (also a podcast) and a show together with his friend Mr Abid Butt called ‘Hospitality Talks’. This also builds an oppor tunity for Sam-Erik to develop a dialogue with potential customers and provide the services they are looking for. “It’s a really modern way of reaching out to customers more than ever before, and that’s what I enjoy doing.”

September 2020 • ScandAsia 27

A crisis like this always brings new things that make improvements.

And people will always travel – it will not end – it’s just at under what conditions and expectations, where and why, that have changed from pre-Covid19.

Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket. Photo: Joakim Persson The latter, launched in early 2020, turned out to be very timely: inviting panels with industry players to discuss the burning issues in the industry and how they see things.

“I find that with the lockdown people from around the world have a lot of time on their hands so the timing was actually good for us to launch this and then got traction with people joining in. We star ted from nothing and are reaching more and more subscribers and viewers, which shows that the topics are of interest to people.”

Exploring new places

Covid-19 has inevitable been part of every discussion.

“Everyone is coming to terms with how life can change from one day to another. Now when we experience a virus that quickly puts everybody in the same situation, I think it will make people rethink how things are,” reflects Sam-Erik.

“For mainstream travel the traditional way of thinking of holidays may change because of all this. We will start to see our own country more than ever before, with short vacations and long weekend trips being the way forward at the moment. I think in the future people will venture into places they have not visited before.

Because sustainable travel means you stay in the same place for a longer period of time, to familiarise yourself with the area. And a group of people who don’t feel they are in the risk group, the Millennials, will want to visit places they’ve never been before.”

28 ScandAsia • September 2020

The hotels also need to rethink, and, as Sam-Erik shares from one webinar, this should not focus on communicating to guests how the hotel has a greatly improved cleaning procedure.

“Did they not provide clean rooms to their customers previously? They have to change their narrative about cleanliness and so on, and think really clearly how they communicate this in advance to their customers to make them feel comfortable, and nail the customer experience 100 per cent every time.”

“If you ask yourself: ‘What if this ‘new normal’ does not change for the next five or ten years, what will you do? Are you going to wait until things come back to normal or are you going to do something about it?’And how can I make the business more viable, more interesting and with more value to those customers; actually with much better value than ever before? That means that hotels need to look at every single step – from when guests get interested until they are leaving – and rethink, to provide better value.That also requires having enough data about the customers so they can make personalisation. It’s how you make people feel that will be the key factor and personalising that experience. This shift in rethinking is nothing new; it’s just in focus because of that people are more sensitive than ever before,” he elaborates.

He believes more new remote destinations will also mushroom, as long as these have good infrastructure and accessibility. Hotels with good design and culture will do well.

Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket. Photo: Joakim PerssonDusit Thani Laguna Phuket. Photo: Joakim Persson

Old school industry

In relation to customer data, Sam-Erik agrees that hotels tend to be more reactive than proactive: “While focusing on the face-to-face experience, they [except the big brands] have traditionally been old school and cautious in catching up on how the world has been changing during the last twenty years with modern IT. They can find out more about the customer through the data they can collect to create a very customer-driven experience. Also you can separate each step and make them more profitable for yourself by tying them into the customer experience. That’s why the social revenue can be also different than the traditional revenue has been so far. And how can you arrange the pre-arrivals? Do you offer keyless access to the guest room – and highly personalised to be precisely as expected by the guest upon arrival? Those are the things that hotels that are forward-thinking need to rethink and spend more time on. The way we’ve done it before, it’s not going to be like that going forward!”

Covid-19 will also be a watershed moment for hotels when it comes to air purification – a topic not even discussed as of June 2020, says Sam-Erik.

For any high-rise hotel, with central ventilation you’ll need to invest quite a bit to have fresh air, like airports and modern airplanes with their HEPA air filters that can catch even the smallest particles. People are going to ask questions: ‘How clean and fresh is the air? What am I going to breathe inside? And they are going to choose

the places to stay based on that; it’s a fundamental part of the experience. So, I think hotels need to install HEPA filtration.”

“A crisis like this always brings new things that make improvements. And people will always travel – it will not end – it’s just at under what conditions and expectations, where and why, that have changed from pre-Covid19.”

There is also a downside of tourism in that it is contributing to environmental degradation and is often managed in an unsustainable way. Now there is the idea of a ‘Day after’, with hopefully a more balanced and sustainable reality. Covid-19 is giving nature a respite, with almost immediate benefits. Sam-Erik says that a par ticular rare dolphin species has for instance reappeared in the Baltic Sea. “It’s a good opportunity for the regulatory system to enforce certain standards that could not be enforced before and at the end of the day it is the customers’ decision where they want to stay. And I think customers will be more critical than ever before because they have seen the alternative now. Price is not the only thing people look at but also regarding how you are leaving this place for future generations. And I sincerely hope this is on people’s minds because they will see how Mother Nature took care of things during these months and showed us what it can be like if you respect it,” ends Sam-Erik.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 29

Agneta’s World

Scandinavia during Covid 19 time

A

fter many months in Bangkok with lockdown, curfew, masks, temper ature measur ing, weeks with a ban on selling alcohol, I arrived on 24 June 2020 to Copenhagen which was almost a shock.

The normally so busy Suvarnabumi airpor t had been dark and almost empty on my depar ture from Bangkok, really ghostlike. I was flying with SWISS as there 30 ScandAsia • September 2020

was not a big choice. We had made a short stop in Zurich where everything seemed to be normal, restaurants and shops were opened and many people were there. You didn’t see people wearing masks or keeping away from each other. Unfortunately I had no time to walk around and no time to visit the duty free shops.

The flight from Zurich to Copenhagen was exactly the same as always. No free seat between the passengers,

but the flight attendances wore gloves and masks, as well as some passengers.

I had expected to be facing some difficulties in the passpor t control and I had prepared documents, explaining why I had to go to Copenhagen and that I was going to rent a car and drive to my brother, who lives in Struer. Instead I was warmly welcomed, but asked to wear a mask. People arriving without

wearing a mask, were kindly asked to do so. As I was used from Thailand to wear a mask, I was prepared of course.

I spent a week in Denmark and had the most wonderful weather, almost too warm, at least for the Danes.

The Danes kept distance among themselves, but were not too concerned about the virus. Shops were open as normal and people still gathered together.

There was a respect for the virus, but people enjoyed daily life.

Jumping over to Sweden and I got really taken by surprise. It was like Corona never had existed. No one wearing a mask, despite one or two foreigners. Due to the beautiful weather, the restaurants were crowded and the tables in the same positions as before Covid. There were of course, bottles with sanitary spray placed here and there, but how many used it? Some shops have changed opening hours, instead of opening up at 10 am, they opened at noon and closed a bit earlier.

You can’t help asking yourself if these minor changes would make any positive influence???

September 2020 • ScandAsia 31

The authority in Gothenburg decided to make a raid one day and checked out an amount of restaurants and found that 9 out of 10 were not following the new distancing rules.

On TV you could follow the head epidemiologist Anders Tegnell from the Public Health Authority (Folkhälsomyndigheten) talking in his calm way about flock immunity and how to handle a pandemic. Despite plenty of critics, he never lost his politeness and patience. Among many Swedes he’s highly appreciated and several tattoo lovers have had tattoos of his face done, to show him their appreciation.

Sweden is divided in two different camps of opinions, those who are a 100% believers and trust Anders Tegnell, and those who blame him for his outstanding way of looking at this virus. The neighbor countries Denmark, Norway and Finland, as well as most other countries, are not

comfortable with the Swedish way.

Many ask the question, does Sweden really know so much more than the rest of the world? There is no right or wrong answer yet, as it will take some time to find out.

In cer tain par ts of Sweden, like in the south of Sweden, old people are taking the virus seriously. Friends, 32 ScandAsia • September 2020

who use to meet up for lunches or dinners frequently, have kept away from each other and stayed home, isolated, and still do so. This has led to depression, especially among the ones living alone. Many are depending on their children to get food delivered and if no children around, the friend’s children or young students are reaching out.

The old people stand behind the kitchen curtains with pain in their eyes, looking out at their children and grand children waving from outside. I have a feeling that we will see many elderly people dying too early due to loneliness and pain.

People belonging to the environmental parties, like “Miljö partiet” e.g now see the chance for the nature to recover from the damage caused by us humans.

In a way, Sweden has managed to keep business going. People have worked part time from home and as the Daycare schools have kept open, it hasn’t caused so much problem for the parents.

Some small innovative businesses have exploded.

It’s amazing to see how the number of fitness coaches has increased. In every park and even on the pavements downtown Stockholm, you see them with a tail of people running, jumping and bending. The coach wear a shirt

with big letters saying COACH. It’s also clear that people during this time have developed a bigger interest in pets.

Long time since so many dogs and cats have been sold.

Watch out, think twice before you buy a new mixed bread, that can bring you problems. The Royal “Kennelklubb” (Kennels) is against those dogs, as they have become very popular and our Crown Princesse Victoria, has been much criticised for buying a mixture.

Many things nowadays have changed and more to come probably.

Will the world ever be the same again, can we go back to the lifestyle we had before Covid 19? Probably not.

Our near future will bring us depressions, divorces, suicides, but has also given some families the opportunity to become more close, to spend more quality time with each other, time to communicate etc.

There are always two sides.

With the unusually beautiful, warm and sunny summer, it’s in a way, easy to forget Covid and all bad things along with it and instead “Carpe diem” (catch the day).

The one who lives will see, que sera sera - whatever will be, will be..

September 2020 • ScandAsia 33

News brief

Danish Embassy in China welcomes new ambassador

T

he Royal Danish Embassy in China welcomed the new ambassador H.E.Thomas Østrup Møller to the office on 1 September 2020.

Thomas Østrup Møller comes from a position as Group Management Director of the National Police and has previously held leading positions in both the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – among other things as Denmark’s ambassador to Poland.

Ambassador Thomas Østrup Møller said “I look forward to continuing the work to strengthen Denmark’s close collaboration with China on important common agendas such as green, sustainable conversion, maritime, health and food. In this context, the collaboration with the companies and strategic partners on the authority side, who have helped to build a solid framework for DanishChinese relations, is central.”

Finnish Deputy Consul General to Hong Kong on her way to Thailand

T

he Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macao published on 7 September 2020 a thank you note to bid their farewell to Deputy Consul General Johanna Manni. Their statement said: Autumn is a time for changes also at the Consulate. Our Deputy Consul General Johanna Manni’s posting in Hong Kong came to an end. She worked in Hong Kong for four years and was responsible for consular and administrative affairs at the Consulate. The Consulate staff thanks Johanna for all her great work and wishes her exciting adventures in her new posting in Bangkok, Thailand.

Here are some pictures from her farewell reception.

34 ScandAsia • September 2020

News brief

Study in Europe Fair in Singapore open for registration

D

id you know that Finland offers around 100 Bachelor’s degree programmes, over 300 Master’s degree programmes, and almost 300 Doctoral programmes, all taught in English.

The embassy of Finland in Singapore invites anyone interested in achieving in education goals, to join the STUDY IN EUROPE Higher Education Fair, on the 26 September 2020 at Singapore.

The online event is open for registration here: https://www.studyineurope. sg/register/

Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong bid farewell to Consul General Storm

T

he Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong awarded on 1 September 2020 the outgoing Consul General of Sweden, Helena Storm, with an Honorar y Membership of the Chamber. The statement said: “Helena’s commitment to increase the knowledge of the Sweden brand in Hong Kong and further strengthen the business relations between Hong Kong and Sweden has been admirable. SwedCham HK wishes her the best of luck in her new position!”

On the same day, the staff at the Consulate General of Sweden in Hong Kong posted a farewell note saying: “Today, we bid farewell to our Consul General Helena Storm after 5 years as the Consul General of Sweden to Hong Kong and Macau.

Helena has worked tirelessly to further strengthen Sweden-Hong Kong and Sweden-Macau relations during her time as Consul General. We will miss her greatly and wish her all the best in her new position as the Ambassador of Sweden to Colombia.”

September 2020 • ScandAsia 35

News brief

Sweden signed agreement to continue supporting Cambodia ‘Future Forum’

Mr Samuel Hurtig, Head of Development Cooperation with Mr Ou Virak, President of Future Forum at a signing ceremony.

T

he Embassy of Sweden in Phnom Penh signed on 11 September 2020 a new agreement to provide suppor t to the think tank and research training institution, Future Forum.

This 3-year agreement (20202022) is worth 5.5 million SEK (approximately US 0.61 million dollar) and is a second phase of the Swedish support. With this support, Future Forum will be able to conduct research and train a community of young researchers in political analysis and social science studies.

Mr. Samuel Hurtig, Head of Development Cooperation. said “Our cooperation with Future Forum is an impor tant par t of Sweden´s support to a democratic develop-

36 ScandAsia • September 2020

ment in Cambodia. We are pleased to continue our suppor t to this research institute which has significantly contributed to quality and scientific research in Cambodia,” Future Forum was founded in 2015 as an evidence-based think tank to focus on research and analysis of public policy. An impor tant part of the organisation´s work is to support a community of young thinkers that can develop positive policy solutions and engage in critical debate of social, political, economic and cultural challenges for Cambodia.

Mr. Ou Virak, President of Future Forum said “The Embassy of Sweden has consistently provided Future Forum the funding to nur-

ture and support young Cambodian researchers to undertake analytical and creative public policy research.

We are delighted to continue this highly fruitful relationship with one of our earliest donors as we continue to build an empowering environment for developing young Cambodian policy thinkers and platforming public policy forward.”

Nokia and Converge ICT brings ultra-broadband services to customers in the Philippines

News brief

N

okia announced on 14 September 2020 that together with Converge ICT, one of the leading Internet and digital services providers in the Philippines, they will bring ultra-broadband services to the island of Mindanao by deploying Nokia’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) solution. With this deployment, Converge ICT will be expanding its broadband network coverage to the region by connecting more than 300,000 homes and businesses to ultra-fast, affordable and reliable broadband services over the next three years.

Nokia’s fiber solution allows Converge ICT to deliver a differentiated broadband service to customers and will play a key role in its ability to seamlessly evolve its network over time. The deployment uses fiber access nodes from the Nokia Lightspan FX series, which provides Converge ICT with the flexibility to use their fiber more efficiently and evolve to next generation technologies such as XGS-PON, 25G PON, next-generation PON line cards and Software Defined Access Network (SDAN), through a software upgrade.

This deployment is pivotal towards laying the foundation for the Philippines’ digital future as it aims to provide access to affordable broadband in one of the far-flung regions of the Philippines. The availability of fiber-based Internet connectivity in Mindanao will create new oppor tunities for the island to grow economically while strengthening the digital backbone for industries and government-run facilities.

Dennis Anthony Uy, Founder and CEO at Converge ICT, said: “Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, people have started to increasingly

use digital platforms to complete a number of day-to-day tasks for which they demand an agile broadband network. Our network infrastructure will allow us to provide best-in-class broadband network to our subscribers especially during unprecedented times like these.

We are confident that Nokia’s fiber solutions will enable us to enhance the overall quality of our services.”

Don Abad, Head of Customer Team at Nokia Philippines, said: “We are delighted to support Converge ICT in its mission to provide superior broadband ser vices to its customers. Our fiber solutions will help Converge ICT bring enhanced ultra-broadband services to its subscribers across the Mindanao region while our 7360 ISAM FX product portfolio will enable them to capture a greater share of the lucrative broadband services market.”

Overview of the solution:

Nokia GPON technology will enable Converge ICT to deliver enhanced speeds and better quality Nokia ISAM FX will provide Converge ICT the flexibility to choose the fiber technology and deployment density that best suits their techno-economics, local regulations, and service offering.

Nokia 7360 (ISAM) FX 8/4 are futureproof platforms that are ready to support 10G PON and beyond along with Software Defined Access Network (SDAN) through software upgrade.

September 2020 • ScandAsia 37

News brief

Sweden and Thailand will collaborate more on waste water management and road safety agenda

Photo: Embassy of Sweden in Thailand.

T

eam Sweden met with Thailand’s Deputy Minister of Interior to discuss waste water management and road safety agenda on 14 September 2020.

After the fruitful discussion between Mr. Niphon Bunyamanee, Deputy Minister of Interior, and

the Swedish wastewater management and road safety experts, the Swedish team announced that it is looking forward to renewing its suppor t to Thailand, to improve wastewater management in Omnoi through ‘Swedfund’s Accelerator Programme’.

“We cannot wait to join Thailand’s efforts in sustainable development by providing its citizen with environmentally friendly solutions to improve public health, environment and living standard,” the statement said.

For more infor mation on Swedfund’s Accelerator Programme, please read here: https://www.swedfund.se/media/2375/swedfund-project-accelerator-general-information-june-2020. pdf

Thailand joins international efforts against tax evasion

H

is Excellency Sarun Charoensuwan, Ambassador of Thailand to France, signed earlier this year the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters (the 38 ScandAsia • September 2020

Convention). Thailand is the 137th jurisdiction to join the Convention.

The Convention enables the signing countries to engage in a wide range of mutual assistance in tax matters: exchange of information on request, spontaneous exchange, automatic exchange, tax examinations abroad, simultaneous tax examinations and assistance in tax collection. It guarantees extensive safeguards for the protection of taxpayers’ rights.

Which means when the Common Repor ting Standard (the “CRS”) becomes effective, Nordic

people declaring only income and assets in Thailand and not in the Nordic countries should consult the authorities what they are required to do in the future.

The system and cooperation is set up to fight against tax evasion and protect the integrity of the tax laws in various countries.

The CRS was developed by the OECD (http://www.oecd.org/tax/ automatic-exchange/common-reporting-standard/) for adoption and implementation by these governments.

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September 2020 • ScandAsia 39